The geological development of the southern part of the New England Fold Belt

Two major divisions of the New England Fold Belt, Zone A and Zone B, are separated by the Peel Fault. Deposition in these two zones was probably contemporaneous (Lower Palaeozoic ‐ Lower Permian). Terminal orogenesis in both zones was also contemporaneous (Middle Permian) but whereas in Zone A deformation was only moderate, metamorphism was of burial type, and granitic emplacement was uncommon, in Zone B many rocks were severely deformed and regionally metamorphosed, and both syn‐tectonic and post‐tectonic granites are widespread.

Pre‐orogenic palaeogeography is envisaged in terms of an evolving volcanic chain ‐ fore‐chain basin ‐ trench system, with an outer non‐volcanic arc developed in the Carboniferous. Cessation of movement on a subduction zone dipping westward beneath the volcanic chain is believed to have caused the Middle Permian deformation, but neither metamorphism nor the granitic rocks are directly related to subduction.     

Regional stress and structure in relation to brown coal open cuts of the Latrobe Valley,Victoria

An interpretation of the origins of folds and joints, which affect the Tertiary Brown Coal Measures of the Latrobe Valley, leads to the proposal that the geological structures have been formed under a regional Late Tertiary NNW‐SSE compressive stress. Considerations of the pattern of measured in situ stresses and of interpreted stresses, derived from earth movements around open cuts and from earthquakes, indicate that a regional NNW‐SSE compressive stress is still in existence in the SE part of Australia at the present time.

It is proposed that the consistencies in the stress orientations reflect consistencies in the Late Tertiary to Recent global movements of the Australian plate.     

Contrasting komatiite belts,associated Ni–Cu–(PGE) deposit styles and assimilation histories

The Agnew–Wiluna greenstone belt in the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia is the most nickel-sulfide-endowed komatiite belt in the world. The Agnew–Wiluna greenstone belt contains two mineralised units/horizons that display very different volcanological and geochemical features. The Mt Keith unit comprises >500 m-thick spinifex-free adcumulate-textured lenses, which are flanked by laterally extensive orthocumulate-textured units. Spinifex texture is absent from this unit. Disseminated nickel sulfides, interstitial to former olivine crystals, are concentrated in the lensoidal areas. Massive sulfides are locally present along the base or margins of the lenses or channels. The Cliffs unit is locally >150 m thick and comprises a sequence of differentiated spinifex-textured flow units. The basal unit is the thickest, and contains basal massive nickel-sulfide mineralisation. The Mt Keith and Cliffs units display important common features: (i) MgO contents of 25–30% in inferred parental magmas; and (ii) Al/Ti ratios of ～20 (Munro-type). However, the Mt Keith unit is highly crustally contaminated (e.g. LREE-enriched, high HFSEs), whereas the Cliffs unit does not display evidence of significant crustal assimilation. We argue that the distinct trace-element concentrations and profiles of the two komatiite units reflect their different emplacement style and country rocks: the Mt Keith unit is interpreted to have been emplaced as an intrusive sill into dacitic volcanic units whereas the Cliffs unit was extruded as lava flow onto tholeiitic basalts in a subaqueous environment. The mode of emplacement and nature of country rock is the single biggest factor in controlling mineralisation styles in komatiites. On the other hand, evidence of crustal contamination does not necessarily provide information of the prospectivity of komatiites to host Ni–Cu–(PGE) mineralisation, despite being a good proxy for the style of komatiite emplacement and the nature of country rocks.     

Structure and metamorphism of the Calliope Volcanic Assemblage: Implications for middle to Late Devonian orogeny in the northern New England Fold Belt

The Late Silurian to Middle Devonian Calliope Volcanic Assemblage in the Rockhampton region is deformed into a set of northwest‐trending gently plunging folds with steep axial plane cleavage. Folds become tighter and cleavage intensifies towards the bounding Yarrol Fault to the east. These folds and associated cleavage also deformed Carboniferous and Permian rocks, and the age of this deformation is Middle to Late Permian (Hunter‐Bowen Orogeny). In the Stanage Bay area, both the Calliope Volcanic Assemblage and younger strata generally have one cleavage, although here it strikes north to northeast. This cleavage is also considered to be of Hunter‐Bowen age. Metamorphic grade in the Calliope Volcanic Assemblage ranges from prehnite‐pumpellyite to greenschist facies, with higher grades in the more strongly cleaved rocks. In the Rockhampton region the Calliope Volcanic Assemblage is part of a west‐vergent fold and thrust belt, the Yarrol Fault representing a major thrust within this system.

A Late Devonian unconformity followed minor folding of the Calliope Volcanic Assemblage, but no cleavage was formed. The unconformity does not represent a collision between an exotic island arc and continental Australia as previously suggested.     

柴北缘锡铁山两类榴辉岩的退变质过程 及其对俯冲带折返机制的制约

榴辉岩作为俯冲带中重要的岩石类型保存有丰富的地球动力学信息。对榴辉岩及其退变质岩石的研究有助于建立俯冲带演化的p-T轨迹,了解俯冲岩石在折返过程中温压条件及矿物相的变化,从而对俯冲带折返的动力学机制进行限定。对柴北缘锡铁山双矿物榴辉岩及含多硅白云母榴辉岩进行了详细的岩石学研究。在NC（K）FMASH体系中对两类榴辉岩进行变质相平衡模拟,得到双矿物榴辉岩的峰期温压条件为745~790℃,大于2.8~3.0GPa（M1）,后经历等温降压过程达到角闪石榴辉岩岩相（670~770℃,1.6~2.2GPa,M2）,与含多硅白云母榴辉岩经历了相同的折返过程。锡铁山双矿物榴辉岩的原岩具有N-MORB的地球化学特征,而含多硅白云母榴辉岩则显示E-MORB或者OIB特征,二者原岩成分存在明显差异。两类榴辉岩的p-T演化过程和地球化学特征表明,锡铁山双矿物榴辉岩与含多硅白云母榴辉岩矿物学特征的差异是其原岩的多源性造成的,而与俯冲后折返过程中的退变质作用无必然联系。     

Middle and Late Carboniferous extension In the Variscan Belt: structural and petrological evidences from the Vosges massif (Eastern France)

Abstract

In the Moldanubian domain of the Vosges massif (INK France) euperimposition of three distinct crustal units has been attributed to Middle to Late Carboniferous thrusting. Л kinematic analysis of mierostuetures within each unit suggests that extension, following the formation of a Stack of nappes, is actually responsible for the bulk structure of this region. In order to estimate the related exhumation, the temperature and pressure evolution of the lowermost unit is investigated. It is characterised by (i) a prograde evolution within the stability field of kyanite, followed by (ii) a syn-kinematic, 3-4 kbar, near-isothermal decompression before (iii) cooling. Thermal modeling shows that the isothermal decompression may be related to rapid exhumation (> I mm.a^-1), which cannot be accounted for by erosion alone. Therefore, exhumation is best explained by extensional processes, possibly related to gravitational collapse of a thickened crust.     

Late Variscan “Basin and Range” magmatism and tectonics in the Central Alps: evidence from U-Pb geochronology

Abstract

Towards the end of the Variscan orogeny, volcano-sedimentary basins were formed within the mountain hell. U-Pb age determinations on zircons of volcanic and plutonic rocks from intramontane basins of the Central Alps allows us to define the age of two volcano-sedimentary units: The former one was dated older than 333 Ma (probably Visean), the younger one was deposited in a short time span between 303 and 298 Ma (Stephanien). The latter contains tuffs (303 ± 4 Ma), ignimbrites and microgranites (299 ± 2 Ma) and intrusive rhyolites (300 ± 2 Ma) that are all coeval within analytical precision. Granitoid rocks intruded into the volcano-sedimentary rocks at 333 ± 2 Ma, 310 ± 3 Ma and 298 ± 2 Ma. An angular unconformity between the older and the younger units in the Tö di area (Aar massif) indicates uplift and erosion between 310 and 303 Ma.

Our results suggest the existence of two periods of late Variscan extension (or transtension) in the Alpine realm, both combined with magmatic activity. The extensional event of Stephaniun age is characterized by a short duration of only a few million years, between 303 and 298 Ma, comprising tectonic activity, volcanism and plutonism. The plutonic rocks are characterized by a dominant lithospheric mantle component, which was contaminated by different amounts of crostai material and might have been increasingly influenced by aslhcnos-pherie mantle melts in the course of crostai thinning. The ealc-alkaline geochemical characteristics of the granites may be explained as an inherited source feature.

The overall tectonic style and the mode of magmatism resembles the situation of the Basin-and-Kange Province (eastern USA). Consequently there is no need to invoke a late-Variscan Andean-type subduction to explain the geochemical composition of the magmatic rocks. We conclude that late-orogenic extension is an important tectonic stage of the Variscan orogeny, which lasted for some 50 million years. The extension led to thinning of the crust and upwelling of hot mantle, causing high heat flow, intrusion of mantle melts and formation of huge volumes of acid melts.     

河南省新县姚冲钼矿床流体包裹体研究

河南省新县姚冲钼矿床产于大别造山带,属于陆-陆碰撞体制的斑岩型矿床,其流体成矿过程可以分为早、中、晚三个阶段,分别以石英+钾长石±黄铁矿±磁铁矿、石英±钾长石+辉钼矿±其他硫化物和石英±碳酸盐±萤石组合为标志.热液石英和萤石中发育纯CO2包裹体(PC型)、CO2-H2O型包裹体(C型)、水溶液包裹体(W型)和含子晶多相包裹体(S型).早阶段石英中发育纯CO2包裹体、CO2-H2O型包裹体和含子晶多相包裹体,中阶段的石英则发育CO2-H2O型包裹体、水溶液包裹体和含子晶多相包裹体,在晚阶段的无矿石英脉中发育水溶液包裹体和少量的CO2-H2O型包裹体,石英-碳酸盐-(萤石)脉石英与萤石中只发育水溶液包裹体.早阶段流体包裹体的均一温度为277～ 380℃,集中于300～ 360℃,盐度变化于3.0％～10.3％ NaCleqv之间.中阶段包裹体均一温度介于185 ～ 351℃之间,集中在260～ 320℃,盐度介于2.4％ ～9.3％NaCleqv;晚阶段包裹体均一温度为139 ～245℃,盐度介于0.7％ ～6.3％ NaCleqv之间.中阶段多相包裹体中常见黄铜矿和其他透明子矿物,表明流体具有还原性、过饱和的特征,是矿石矿物沉淀的主要阶段.估算早、中阶段流体捕获压力分别集中于47 ～ 131MPa和26 ～118MPa,所对应的成矿深度分别约为4.7km和2.6～4.2km.上述流体包裹体的研究表明姚冲钼矿床的初始成矿流体具有高温、高盐度、富CO2的特征,同时预测了深部找矿潜能.     

滇西哀牢山变质岩系锆石U-Pb定年及其地质意义

哀牢山-红河构造带是滇西地区最著名的带状变质带之一,其主体由哀牢山深变质岩系(哀牢山岩群)组成,一直被认为是扬子陆块古元古代结晶基底.本文选取哀牢山深变质岩系内的花岗片麻岩(11 ALl7-1和11AL09-1)和石英岩(11AL08-1),以及邻区的花岗岩(11ALl2-1)进行LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年.结果显示,花岗片麻岩11 ALl7-1有岩浆和变质两类锆石,两者的206Pb/238U年龄加权平均值分别为700±6Ma(MSWD=1.4,n=14)和27.4±1.2Ma(MSWD=1.9,n=3),代表原岩形成时代和变质年龄.花岗片麻岩llAL09-1岩浆锆石206 pb/238U年龄为220±3Ma(MSWD=3.1,n=14),变质锆石年龄为31.2±2.3Ma(MSWD =6,n=5),分别代表原岩结晶时代和后期变质年龄.石英岩11AL08-1中所有锆石具有核-边结构,92颗锆石核部年龄集中分布在6组,分别为493～528Ma(n=42)、635 ～ 640Ma(n=2)、701～784Ma(n=44)、976 ～980Ma(n=2)、1839Ma(n=1)和2487Ma(n=1).92个核部分析点具有高的Th/U比值(＞0.23),指示岩浆来源.最年轻一组的42个核部年龄加权平均值为509Ma,代表石英岩原岩的最大沉积时代.7颗锆石变质边年龄为26～ 75 Ma内,代表变质年龄.花岗岩11 ALl2-1锆石206pb/238U年龄加权平均值为750±4Ma(MSWD =0.6),代表岩石形成时代.这些年龄表明哀牢山变质岩系是一个原岩复杂的变质杂岩带,它的原始物质至少包含新元古代～ 700Ma岩浆岩、～509 Ma沉积地层及220 ～ 240Ma的岩浆岩和地层,而不是以往认为的古元古代结晶基底.现今所见的哀牢山岩群“古老”岩石面貌主要是由地质历史上的浅变质或未变质的地层和岩浆岩在新生代26～31Ma发生变质变形作用改造的结果.哀牢山变质带的源区物质特征和主要岩浆事件与扬子陆块西缘十分相似,具有亲扬子的构造属性.     

大别-苏鲁高压、超高压变质带榴辉岩和脉体中磷灰石氯含量和流体盐度关系的研究

流体的盐度对含羟基变质矿物组合的稳定温压条件和岩石-流体的相互作用有重要影响.流体的盐度可从矿物中氯含量的角度加以研究.磷灰石是一个含氯矿物,作为副矿物广泛分布在各种岩石中,且能在较宽的温压范围内稳定存在.本文选择大别-苏鲁造山带中典型的高压、超高压岩石开展了磷灰石成分的研究,结合前人流体包裹体的研究结果,探讨了榴辉岩相条件下流体盐度和磷灰石中的氯含量之间的关系.榴辉岩和脉体中磷灰石的XClAp/XOHAp比值与已有的流体包裹体盐度呈很好的线性正相关.榴辉岩和脉体中磷灰石的XClAp/XoHAp比值范围为0.00～0.35时,对应的流体包裹体盐度约为0～40％ NaCleqv.